Dark Times
by TheBadPanda
Summary: Naruto has been called back to deal with a disturbance with the Stone of Gelel. What he got was a Naruto from another world, one devasated by war. Now the Shinobi world has to deal with a new Naruto, one that is unhinged and dangerous.
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys new story.

Thanks to ABitterPill for brainstorming.

Chapter 1

"What is going on?" Naruto asked the technician.

"We're still trying to figure it out Hokage-sama." The man bowed in apology. "There is a lot of interference."

"From the Stone?"

"No sir, from a field surrounding the Stone." Naruto looked past the Konoha technician at the last remnants of the Stone of Gelel, it was no bigger than a thumb but was a source of endless grief.

Naruto remembered many years ago of his mission against Haido and the invasion of Suna. Haido used Temujin and his royal blood to manipulate Gelel with the overall goal of conquest. Naruto, Shikamaru and Sakura put a dent in those plans. The vein from where Gelel originates was supposedly destroyed by a black hole, taking the Book of Gelel and most of the vein with it.

It has laid dormant for almost twenty years buried under rock. Except everything changed when Suna started picking up energy readings from Gelel's resting place; the world destroying kind of energy. Garaa made the call and Naruto responded immediately, bringing his best fuinjutsu specialists along with him.

"Of all the things to come back and bite us, this was the last thing I expected." Naruto sulked as he looked at the Stone with mixed feelings. It stood at the centre of a crater surrounded by experts from both Suna and Konoha. Strange silver energy pulsated around the stone, only for every few minutes to discharge with a thunderous boom. The problem was the discharges were becoming more and more frequent.

"I know what you mean." Garaa nodded. "The energy field has been sporadically discharging and building up."

"Like a generator firing up?"

"Exactly." Garaa's sand rattled around in the small gourd on his belt. Years of training resulted in having to carry less sand than what was required, but his deadliness was without question. "My concern lies with why the Stone is doing this now, after all this time."

"I think I can answer that." One of the technicians called out. Naruto and Garaa were on him immediately giving the rather diminutive shinobi their complete and undivided attention. Having two kages watch you like a hawk was both flattering and incredibly intimidating. "Uh…heh…the field itself is not originating from the Stone."

"What?"

"The field is not being generated from the Stone, but rather the energy is being gathered around the stone, almost focused."

"Then what is the stone doing?"

"Near as I can tell, it is acting as a beacon for the field."

Garaa furrowed his brow in confusion. "Then what is generating the field?"

"Unknown sir." The technician winced. "We are still having a trouble getting a lock. It's like the field is being generated by itself."

"You know that makes absolutely no sense, right?" Naruto stiffened slightly.

"I know that sir, which is why I ran it by everyone else before I told you. That is the consensus." The technician jerked his thumb back to several fuinjutsu specialists and sensors who all nodded in agreement, albeit some were more reluctant than others.

"Great." Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose. "This is more confusing than I thought."

"Uhh….sir?" One of the technician's piped up. He sounded more worried than what Naruto was comfortable with. "Something's happening here."

The field around the Stone pulsated with the pace of a rapid heartbeat, strange terrifying light slid off the field casting shadows and began to drown out the sun above them.

"It's going to discharge." Garaa concluded. "Everyone evacuate the area." Naruto had to admire Garaa's calmness in the situation. He had the ability to act nonchalant when he was in fact just as terrified as Naruto.

"No sir!" The technician cried out. "It's not discharging, the field is stabilising! Stand back!"

The silver energy field began to expand and grow, encompassing an area of at least forty square meters with no signs of slowing. The light was almost blinding. "Stop it from expanding! Seal it off!"

"Sir!" Several men acknowledged and began to form the seals. " _Fuinjutsu: Kurobe_."

Black swarms of ink sprung from the ground wrapping around the silver ball of light in a lattice structure, each string of seals falling over one another reinforcing the whole. The ball of energy ebbed and finally girded to a halt.

The light began to die down but rather than dissipate, the energy took on a distinctly liquid characteristic. The strange field looked like a globe filled with mercury, sliding seamlessly in the air like oil. "Can somebody tell me what is going on?" Naruto asked, and silence he was given said it all. "Great….Can somebody please take this thing offline?"

Several shinobi started whispering in hushed tones to try and find a solution. While Naruto was waiting for a solution he could not help but notice something was moving inside the ball of silver liquid.

Naruto approached the silver energy field, until he was so close he could see his reflection. His reflection however was radically different than his current appearance; different clothes, different hairstyle…different eyes. "What the hell…?"

Then his reflection punched the silver liquid sending ripples across its surface.

Naruto yelped in surprise and instinctively used his _Shunshin no jutsu_ to distance himself from the reflection. Only the reflection did not dissipate, it remained where it was and it looked very angry.

"Why won't this fucking thing OPEN?!" The reflection howled, slamming his fist against silver orb.

"Naruto! Stop it, you'll collapse the field!" A voice called out, the Hokage instinctively looked around only to realise no one was calling to him; the voice came from within the orb. Men who were busy working stopped to marvel at the spectacle wondering what the hell they were witnessing.

"We are so close." The reflection turned to the side. "I am not going to let this entire thing fall apart on the last spurt! Now help me or get out the way!"

"Sir!" A technician called. "There is more energy build up. The seals are beginning to fall apart. Recommend we supress it now."

"Goddammit!" The reflection cursed. "Why can't we get through, what is going on?!"

"Naruto…" A voice replied, a calmer older voice, one that Naruto knew well. "This is a dead end. Come on we have to leave now."

"And go where?!" The reflection screeched slamming his fists against the barrier. "To hell with that!"

"What the hell…?" Naruto gasped. Maybe he was too loud in his surprise because his reflection immediately zeroed in on him.

"Kakashi…there is someone out there." The reflection squinted at Naruto, clearly the view was not as clear from….whatever it was' end.

"Naruto, forget it." The voice the Naruto immediately recognised as his sensei replied. "You made a call, it didn't work. No blame."

The reflection made a violent gesture as if he was throwing something off. "I know someone is out there and I know you can hear me! You have to help us!"

Something twisted inside Naruto, what it was he could not define, but he knew he did not like the feeling. Whether it was because it was his reflection desperately pleading or because its eyes showed fear and terror, he could not say. "We have no food! No water! We have nowhere else to go!" The reflection cried out. "Please help us!"

"Sir," a shinobi spoke up, "we have a lock on the source, and we can seal it off now."

"There are people here!" The reflection yelled. "They're dying as we speak!"

"Sir, what are your orders?" The shinobi whispered.

"If you turn us away, we're as good as dead!" The reflection smashed itself against the silver barrier. "You're killing us!"

If this was someone's idea of a joke it is not funny. Naruto turned to look at Garaa who was just as stumped as he was. The look in the Kazekage's eyes said it was his call.

 _Jackass…_ Naruto thought.

 _-your orders?_

 _-you're killing us!_

"Release the seals." Naruto ordered, though in actuality it was more like a question.

"Sir?" The shinobi asked.

"Release the seals." Naruto repeated a little more confidently.

"Sir, if we do that, we cannot guarantee containment if it gets out of control."

"I understand…" Naruto bit his tongue at the chance to back out, "release the seals."

'Kai' was uttered several times. The seals encompassing the silver orb began to fade.

"Naruto! The portal is working! We're getting through!" A voice called out from the silver orb. The reflection jeered in surprise and steadily walked through. After a brief gulp of air, the doppelganger began to cough violently and roughly collapsing to his knees.

0o0o0o

"You're real..." Naruto did not know what to expect but this silver orb turning out to be a portal was not one of them.

"Of course I'm real." Naruto's reflection gagged, well it would be inappropriate to call him a reflection now it was clear he was more than a mirror image. "Thanks for not turning us away."

 _How does one say thank you to yourself, much less say you're welcome?_ "Well I could hardly say 'no' could I?"

"What do you mean-?….oh" The doppelganger looked at Naruto clearly for the first time and his eyes widened briefly and surprise. "Huh…this is awkward."

Awkward was right. Naruto's vision was blurred because of the barrier but now that his doppelganger came through he could see how similar they were and also how different.

Naruto loved the colour orange, something to do with it fitting his personality. Looking at this other version of himself he saw not a trace of his favourite colour, what he wore instead was standard shinobi attire covered head to toe by dust and soot. His sleeves were tattered and riddled with holes, the kind you get from being close to an explosion. His shoes were little more than pieces of leather held together by duct tape and blind luck. His hair although spiky did not have the 'sheen' Naruto had and his skin had a disturbing grey-pale colour, which reminded Naruto of something that was dead. Whether it was his actual pigmentation or dust was something to be discussed later.

More importantly though were his eyes. His left eye was just as blue as Naruto's, but he could tell that they lead very different lives. His eyes were full of fear and misery, mistrust and paranoia. Whatever life the doppelganger lived was nothing like Naruto's, the way he crouched the way he held his scarred hands told Naruto that his life was filled with danger, without opportunity for rest or respite.

His right eye, made Naruto's breath hitch. Rather than the usual blue, the right eye held the grey ringed pattern of the Rinnengan.

The Rinnengan.

 _What the hell?_

"I know you have many questions." The doppelganger interrupted Naruto's train of thought. "But I have more pressing matters. I am not the only one on the other side. I need them to come through, they'll die if they don't."

The very urgent nature of the reflection's request made Naruto want to concede almost immediately. But as he said, Naruto had many questions.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked, realising how dumb that question must have sounded. Clearly his doppelganger was losing patience.

"Do I really have to dignify myself to answer that question?" The reflection seethed.

Naruto slowly shook his head. "Guess not. Bring them through." Naruto could feel the tension uncoil inside the doppelganger. "Thank you…." He whispered, he stood up shakily before calling out behind him. "Come on! We don't have all day! Move it!"

The next person to walk through was an eerie man with strange grey hair followed by another person…and another.

….and another.

…and another.

Naruto gave up counting after the number of people that came through reached two hundred. This is definitely not how he planned on ending that day.

0o0o0o

Naruto had seen war, he had lived it. But he was on the front lines, close to the fighting, not near the back like Sakura was. On the rear, there was only the wounded, sick and the dying. Only now did he wish that he brought some medic nin, what came out of the portal could only aptly described as victims of war.

Everyone, man, woman and child were famished, filthy and tired. They were all covered in soot and bundled in rags. Some could not walk through the portal due to injury and had to be carried out, others were unconscious.

These were the moments that made it difficult to be a Hokage, or indeed any leader; everyone looked up to you for guidance. Only now could he see his shinobi looking at him, almost pleading to tell them what to do.

Garaa was thankfully more up to the task. "Contact Suna, get the medic corps over here immediately." Garaa turned to another nearby shinobi. "You forage the surroundings, food, water, anything you can carry."

"How many people are there?" Naruto asked.

"I've got 364." Garaa paused. "And counting…"

"What the hell is going on?"

"I'm sure 'you' can shed some light." Garaa hid a small smirk.

"Jokes? At this time?" Naruto tried to play the straight man, but failed horribly when a smile escaped his lips. "I don't even know where to begin."

One of the war veterans, the strange man with grey hair walked to Naruto's copy. "That's the last of them Naruto. There are 376 souls accounted for."

"What? Bullshit!" The doppelganger grabbed the stranger by the scruff of his shirt. "Where are the rest of them?!"

"They're dead Naruto. You know that." The very words seemed like a slap across the face. The copy gave the stranger a look, the same look Naruto gives when he thinks someone is lying.

"No…no that's impossible." The doppelganger walked back to the silver portal. "I'm going to get them."

"Naruto!" The stranger ordered. "What are you doing?!"

"I'm going to help them. I'll bring them back. You'll see." The reflection's advance was halted by a tight grip. Naruto could sense Garaa's sand rattling around ready to break out a potential fight.

"You have to listen to reason." The stranger grunted as he tried to wrestle the reflection away from the portal. "Naruto, there is nothing living in that world! It's over!" The doppelganger froze and turned to face him, a look of horrid disbelief. The stranger sighed and reluctantly let go leaving only a tight grip on his shoulder. "You have saved 376 souls. You did it Naruto." The stranger's voice was barely a whisper. "But that is all you can do."

"I can't….I can't leave them." The reflection frowned, eyes shining from tears. "They depend on me, they trusted me, I have to save them."

"Naruto, you saved the last of us. We have a future, and for that, alive or dead, they will be forever indebted to you." The stranger's tight grip turned into a gentle touch. "But if you go back there, you won't make it. Look the portal is beginning to destabilise." Sure enough the silver ball, was beginning to lose its liquid composition. It was falling apart faster than it could reassemble itself. "Let them go."

After an eternity, the reflection looked away from the portal and huffed out something between a sigh and a sob. The portal collapsed in on itself until the only thing that remained was the Stone of Gelel.

It was over.

0o0o0o

Many of the shinobi, Naruto's and Garaa's shinobi tried to help the new arrivals. The kage were not worried, most of them were in no position to pose a threat. Most of the arrivals were inflicted by some form of injury, some debilitating, others critical. The medics of Suna were on their way and Naruto sent word to Konoha to send a squad as well. In the meantime all they could do was wait and make them comfortable.

Naruto's doppelganger sat shakily back on the ground away from the others that came with him, facing a rock face. His body was shivering with frustration and sobbing, trying to hold himself together.

Naruto was a master of the kage bunshin, he has seen and fought himself a thousand times. But this was not a bunshin; it was a strange feeling looking at himself as if for the first time, thoughts flooded his mind. _Could this be another version of me? An alternate universe where things went different?_ Naruto paled when another thought came to his mind; he recalled a time when he had to stop a shinobi called Mudake from altering time and he was sent back into the past. _Could this be my future?_

He had to know. "You think we can get some answers now?" Naruto turned to Garaa, who nodded in agreement.

They approached the doppelganger with care –

"I think he will be in no mood to talk." Both Kage spun around to see the stranger. The man was garbed in a black mask, with only his left eye revealed, his voice although familiar had a bland robotic tone about it. He wore a suit that was eerily similar to the Chakra armour worn by the Shinobi during that fiasco in the Land of Snow.

"I think we are entitled to answers, sir." Garaa spoke smoothly.

"I am not arguing that, but I am saying that my Naruto is not in any position physically or emotionally to give them." The stranger ruffled his grey hair. "But I am willing to answer them for you."

"Very well then." Naruto stood forward. "Who are you?"

The stranger glanced at the kage in a way that was both familiar and bemused, something which made Naruto very uncomfortable. "My name is Hatake Kakashi, Konoha jounin." Naruto blinked several times. " _Kakashi-sensei?!_ "

"Now that's a title I have not been called in a while." The stranger closed his eye as if savouring it. "So I taught you in this world too huh?" The stranger pulled off his mask to reveal Kakashi. Only it was not Kakashi. Like Naruto's 'reflection', there were similarities, but at the same time completely different from the Kakashi he knew.

Kakashi looked old. Really old, as if he was thirty years older than he should be. Something that made Naruto blanch at the thought of this being a future he has yet to experience. Naruto smirked slightly when he saw the trademark fabric covering the lower part of his face, but lost it immediately upon seeing the upper part of his body; half his head was metal. It was not a helmet, Naruto could tell that much, but rather a part of him. The Kage could see this Kakashi's flesh seamlessly transfer to cold grey. Now that Naruto noticed, a substantial part of Kakashi's body, specifically most of his left side was metal. The Sharingan glowed brightly in Kakashi's metal 'socket' where his eyes would have been. This Kakashi looked less like a man and more like a cyborg.

"Kakashi…" Naruto repeated dumbly, "…w-…what happened?"

"Ah, I see that my accident did not occur to this dimension's Kakashi." The duplicate mused. "He must be devilishly handsome."

"D…does it…"

"It doesn't hurt." The duplicate winked.

"Where are you from?" Garaa spoke up. Kakashi turned to look at the Kazekage, only he did not have a look of affection but rather wary mistrust. Naruto had a feeling that their Garaa was nothing like his world.

"A dying world." Kakashi responded. "A war broke out, one that devastated the planet and all life on it."

"The Fourth Shinobi World War?" Naruto gasped, what could have possibly gone wrong to warrant the death of a whole planet. "Did Ōtsutsuki Kaguya win?"

Kakashi looked surprised as a man with three quarters of his face hidden could be. "Who the hell is Ōtsutsuki Kaguya?"

Naruto blinked in confusion. "That's not what happened?"

Kakashi quickly recovered his composure. "There was a war but did not involve whoever Kaguya was. It was a war between men. It just spun out of control and engulfed the whole planet."

"Then who won?" Naruto followed up.

"Nobody won."Kakashi shook his head. "All we got was the end of the world."

"How?"

"You would be surprised what kind of weapons people make to kill someone else…weapons that you can't even believe exist." Kakashi explained. "Have you ever heard of nuclear weapons?"

"No."

"They're weapons capable of unleashing devastation greater than a tailed-beast bomb…and were unleashed to all the corners of the globe. Black clouds smothered the sun, sending the whole world into darkness." Kakashi turned to the arrivals. "Many chose to stay behind to try and buy us time to escape. Naruto grabbed who he could and lead them as far away from the battles. But there was nowhere to go. He decided to use the Book of Gelel to try and save us, we don't know what it would have done, but it couldn't have made the situation worse. It would've either destroyed us or it wouldn't work and we would die out from hunger and fatigue. We had no idea it would take us here to your world."

Naruto sucked in a breath and asked the question he feared the most. "When does this happen?"

"Ah, you must think I'm from the future?" Kakashi paused in contemplation. "How old are you Naruto?"

"I'm twenty-eight."

Kakashi chuckled mildly in amusement. "I wouldn't worry about that."

"Why not?"

"Because our Naurto is twenty six as well." Kakashi nodded. "The war broke out thirteen years ago. If it hasn't happened now, it will never happen."

Naruto heaved a sigh of relief, and deep down he felt guilty for being so relieved. "Thirteen years of war…Did…?"

"Come on Naruto, I'm sure I taught you better than that, no matter what dimension I'm in. People die in war Naruto." Kakashi explained. "We lost a lot of people: good friends, family, loved ones."

"I'm….sorry." What else could Naruto say? 'Better you than me'? 'Wow, sucks to be you'?

"It's in the past. I thank you for letting us through Naruto. I know it couldn't have been easy." Kakashi winked again. "If you didn't we would have all died."

"You're welcome." Naruto felt himself blush slightly. "But in all honesty, I sounded pretty genuine and I couldn't turn people away when they need help."

"Seems you and my Naruto have some things in common." Kakashi glanced behind him to see the other Naruto still twitching and shivering. "…he lost many things. I don't know how he managed to hang on for so long. He used all the strength he had to get us here…and now that we're here…"

"I get it." Naruto nodded; burnout, nervous breakdown he's seen it time and again, but only in other people. Never did he suspect that it would happen to him. "But if he's anything like me, I'm sure it's nothing Icharu ramen can't fix." Naruto grinned.

"I…don't think that's wise." Kakashi glanced back at the doppelganger warily. "He…needs to be introduced to things slowly." Kakashi turned back to the kage, "I know you probably want to speak to him, but I'm asking you treat him with kid gloves. He's not in a good place right now and he needs time."

"Kakashi, we need to get these children medical attention ASAP." A voice called behind them that gave Naruto a strange sense of déjà vu. Garaa turned around to explain the next step. "Medics are on their way you have - oh shit."

Naruto turned to face the new arrival, only to see a man who has been dead for many years in his world.

Hyuuga Neji blinked at them in mild fascination.

"Oh shit…" Naruto wheezed. "Hinata's going to freak."

0o0o0o

There you go guys hope you enjoyed it.

Review and PM


	2. Chapter 2

Hey Guys new chapter.

I also edited the last chapter. Nothing major just aligning the dates.

Chapter 2

Naruto knew a mess of international politics when he saw it; people who were otherwise dead were alive and people who were alive were otherwise dead. The ramifications spoke for themselves.

There were two Naruto's.

There were two Kakashi's.

And that was just the first hour after processing.

There were families from various countries, not just from Fire or Wind, but the other Great Shinobi Nations and more. Some were civilians, others were ninja. Nearly all of them were suffering from some form of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; they went through hell and back.

The Hokage sent a messenger to Konoha, directly to Sakura to tell her the recent developments and they needed the entire medical corps and they need it now.

In the meantime all they had were the people who had basic medical training and this new Neji who seemed more than apt with medical jutsu.

 _And of course there was a new Neji,_ Naruto puzzled.

Naruto struggled with what to do regarding Hyuuga Neji, this new Hyuuga Neji. What was he going to tell his wife? _Hi honey, how was your day? Mine was interesting, a Naruto from a parallel dimension brought people from his world to ours and you're cousin who sacrificed is life to save us is alive now._

More importantly what would this Neji do? What would he think of Naruto marrying his cousin? _What if_ , Naruto gulped, _what if this Neji was not the same as our one? What if we were never friends?_

The Hokage did not regret dropping the seal, and if he could go back in time he would let them in again. _But why couldn't this day have just been simple?_ Naruto cursed.

"Send an emissary to all the villages. Do it quietly" Naruto spoke to a nearby ANBU. "Tell them they have some citizens they might wish to collect. We will meet them in Suna."

"Sir." The ANBU vanished in a puff of smoke. Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger; he could foresee a mountain of paperwork over the next few days.

"Well I sent notification to Suna about a little over an hour ago." Garaa ruffled his hair. "They should be here any minute."

"Good," The Hokage sighed, "some of these people really look like they need help."

"Feeling okay?" Garaa asked.

"Not too flash." Naruto yawned. "You?"

"I don't think they like me." Garaa jerked his thumb behind him. Naruto followed his gaze to the new arrivials, they were glaring at the Kazekage with a mixture of confusion and fear. The only particular case was Neji, Naruto noticed the occasional glances he made at the Kazekage. They were looks of hatred, Naruto knew that gaze very well.

"I think they are just as surprised to see you as you are to see them." Naruto tried to make light of the situation.

Garaa's teal eyes narrowed conveying a single thought; _bullshit_. Garaa remained awkwardly silent and it was only when Naruto coughed did he speak again. "Temari's here with them."

"What? Really?" Naruto looked around to the arrivals but could not make out her trademark blonde hair.

Now there were two Temari's. _Great._

"Neji told me she's here." Garaa repeated, his face scrunched up like he sucked on something sour.

"Are you going to say hello?" Naruto smiled expectantly.

"I don't know what I would say." Garaa looked off to the side. "My sister is alive and well in Suna."

"Well now you have two sisters." Naruto chuckled. "Oh geez I know exactly what Shikamaru is going to say 'twice the harassment, how troublesome.'"

"Naruto," Garaa used 'the serious voice', "doesn't this whole thing strike you as a bit odd? There are people from another world who have come here seeking asylum. Duplicates who have lead completely different lives and suffered completely different tragedies."

"What was I supposed to do?" Naruto straightened up. "Leave them to die?"

"There is that possibility." Garaa retorted. Naruto blinked several times in stunned silence, he forgot how cold Garaa could be.

"Are you deaf? You just said your sister is here, you would have sentenced her to death." Naruto refused to back down.

"She is an alternate version of my sister." Garaa responded in cold logic. "Besides can you really trust them?"

"If you can't trust yourself, who can you trust?" Naruto jibed.

"You mean, can you trust the Naruto who is currently undergoing a meltdown in the corner?" Garaa glanced at the duplicate who was sitting in a darkened corner facing a wall. "Besides, did you even stop to wonder how he got the Rinnengan or why his chakra signature is irregular?"

"Chakra signature?" Naruto glanced at his reflection allowing his kyuubi chakra to enhance his senses. Sure enough Garaa was right, there was something really odd with his chakra. There was the kyuubi chakra which was present, but it was not the same as his, it was still dark…full of rage. That Naruto never seemed to make peace or friends with Kurama.

There was Naruto's chakra, but it was not the same as his. Karin affectionately said his chakra was warm and bright like the sun. But the other Naruto's charka, was like a bleak and cold rainy day, sadness and misery emanated often him like a bad smell.

But there was something else, more chakra signatures….Impossible.

 _Kokuo? Gyūki?_ "He…"

"Yes." Garaa concluded. "He is a host of all the tailed beasts with the exception of Shukaku and by the nature of their signatures, they are not at all friendly. He must be losing his mind…."

 _Could that be why he needs the Rinnengan?_ Naruto thought. _So he could control them?_ _Kurama, what do you think? Are you awake?_

 _ **Of course I'm awake.**_ Naruto felt the tailed beast in his mind stir. _**Some day huh?**_

 _Tell me about,_ Naruto scoffed, _what do you think of this other me?_

 _ **I don't know much about him,**_ Kurama concluded, _**but I can tell that my alternate colleagues are not at all amused. The other version of me is so angry and spiteful, worse than anything I've ever felt. They so desperately want out but they can't escape. What about you?**_

Naruto thought for a moment reflecting on the first moments upon meeting his duplicate. _I don't think he expected to live past today._

 _ **I don't think he wanted to live past today.**_ Kurama countered. _**Naurto, look at him, he is a mere shadow of you. The other Kurama, consumed by hate. I saw those eyes and I know you did too.**_

 _Yes,_ Naruto nodded glumly, _they are the eyes of a person who would not mind if someone took a kunai to his throat._ It was confronting seeing yourself look so miserable, but knowing it was not you.

"Sir." Naruto's train of thought was interrupted when a Suna shinobi arrived to speak to the Kazekage. "Medics are here."

"Good. Delegate them to those two," Garaa nodded and pointed to Kakashi and Neji, "they know which injuries take priority." The shinobi nodded and quickly left.

"Well at least we're doing some good." Naruto concluded. "And Garaa, I think you should talk to their Temari. You heard Kakashi, if they did not come through the portal, they're already dead. She may not be your only family, but you are all she has. She is your sister, no matter dimension she comes from." Garaa wanted to retort, but Naruto did have a point. Dealing with this new 'sister' would have to wait, right now the medics had to take priority.

0o0o0o

They stabilized who they could, but despite their efforts, not everyone was out of the woods. There were some very sick people and field medics could only do so much.

It took less than a day to get back to Sunagakure thanks to Garaa's sand, and another day for the Konoha medic corps to arrive led by Sakura herself. Even Shizune and a retired Tsunade came along. A trauma ward was set up near the Suna hospital where the medics worked day and night. It was only after two days that Sakura finally came out of the hospital.

"You looked exhausted, Sakura. Did you get any sleep?"

"Nah," Sakura shrugged, "there was just so many wounded. I take solace that I was not the only one who was up. Tsunade even disposed of her youthful appearance to get the job done."

"I have to thank granny…and you too Sakura." Naruto smiled. "You didn't have to come along."

"Whatever, you would have to drag me away to not help them."

"What about Sarada?" Naruto recalled a mousy girl, with Sakura's tenacity and Sasuke's intelligence.

"She understands." Sakura rubbed her forehead. "Besides she's neck deep in studies at the moment."

"Well it seems this was a huge success."

"Not exactly Naruto." Sakura frowned. The sad look in her eyes said it all.

"What is the total count, Sakura?" Naruto braced himself.

"Fourteen dead." Sakura rubbed her eyes. "They were dealt a heavy dose of radiation. We tried everything in the book, but there was nothing we could do. We made them comfortable."

"Ugh, he's going to be pissed." Naruto groaned.

"Who?" Sakura raised a brow.

"The other 'me'." Naruto should have guessed, Sakura was probably too busy saving lives to contemplate that there were duplicates running around.

"Oh…" Sakura blinked. "I saw him briefly, he looks…."

"Different?" Naruto offered.

"I was going to say 'cooler'," Sakura smirked, "but different works too."

"Aww, Sakuraaaaaa….." Naruto pouted, "that hurts."

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding." The medic waved her hand in surrender. "But he looks battered, I'm surprised he could stand. I tried to get him to relax but he just wandered off."

"Yeah, he's…not to happy with what happened." Naruto explained. "He wanted to go back to his world to help more people, but he was told it was suicide mission. Then the portal collapsed, likely forever."

"Damn…" Sakura strained, placing a hand in front of her mouth, "if he's anything like you he must have taken it hard."

"Yeah…" Naruto shook himself back into business, "what of the rest? Are they okay?"

"Better than okay. Despite their injuries, most of them just need some food and lots of bed rest. They will not be getting up until next week." Sakura reflected. "We are also taking a few samples of blood, hopefully it will help with identification, and a lot of people are too tired to speak."

"Most?"

"Some have refused treatment or left with Naruto, I didn't get a good look at any of them." Sakura shrugged. "But I need to find them and bring them back. Wherever they're from, they were in active radiation. They will need to be sanitized."

"Ugh, just what I need, radioactive duplicates running around Suna." Naruto began walking to Suna administration, most likely where Garaa is answering some hard questions.

"I was incredibly surprised to see Neji in the ward." Sakura fell into step, eager to share the gossip. "His medical jutsu is pretty impressive."

"Yeah." Naruto confirmed. "He's not exactly the same as the one we knew."

"Hinata must have hit the roof when you told her." Sakura looked expectantly only to notice a guilty expression on her friend's face. "Naruto…"

Naruto gulped hastily. "I'll tell her I'm just trying to find a way to explain it."

"This is not something trivial!" Sakura punched Naruto painfully on the shoulder. "You have to tell her."

"What am I supposed to say?" Naruto rubbed his attacked shoulder. "She and Himawari have taken flowers to his grave every Saturday for years. What are they to do? Pretend he's come back from the dead?"

"Neji's her cousin." Sakura rolled her eyes.

"But we don't know anything about this new Neji." Naruto held up a hand to make a point. "For all we know he hated the branch family more than our Neji did. What if he hates her? What if in his world he was the main family and Hinata was the branch family?" Naruto shook his head. "No I intend to find out more about them before I subject my family to that."

Sakura looked wary but conceded. "Fine, but remember Naruto, the fact you didn't tell her means you are going to get chewed out. The longer you wait, the more painful it will be."

"How do you know?"

"Call it women's intuition." Sakura smirked knowingly.

"Hey guys." They turned to see Kankuro, only no face paint. It was different to see the shinobi in civilian attire. He was flanked by the Kazekage who looked none too pleased. Trailing behind him was the rest of the Sand Sibling family: Termai, Shikamaru and their son Shikadai

"Hi Kankuro." Naruto glanced sideways to Sakura; they had a good idea of why he was here. "Hi Garaa, did it go well?"

"Define well?" Garaa grumbled. "You mean did I just get my ass chewed out by two dozen ministers, then yes. It went very well."

"That bad huh?"

"They are furious, taking in the new arrivals is too much of a security risk." Garaa's shoulders sagged.

"Can't you just crush them with your sand?" Shikadai asked mildly bored.

"Don't tempt me." Garaa smirked, ruffling his nephew's hair.

Kankuro coughed hoping to move the conversation on. "Ummm…look I know this is a bit rude considering you're off duty Sakura but-"

"Temari?"

"…yeah, the other Temari." Kankuro sighed. "Is she-"

"She's alive and in the ward." Sakura interrupted. "Take my pass, you can go visit her."

"Thanks." Kankuro blushed. "I'm sorry it's just…two Temari's. Heh, one was bad enough."

Kankuro received a thump across the side of his head. "I'm right here you know!"

"Does this mean I have an aunt now?" Shikadai asked.

"One aunt for you but two naggers for me." Shikamaru instinctively ducked Termai's flying kick and jumped behind his son, using him as a shield. "How troublesome."

"Jerk." Termai growled. "What did I ever see in you in the first place?"

Sakura laughed. "Just be gentle, she's been hurt in a bad way." Kankuro nodded and quickly headed off, the Nara family in tow.

"Oh wait!" Naruto interrupted. "Do you know where the other…duplicates went?"

"I saw a few heading to the library." Kankuro called out behind him. "I didn't get a good look at them though."

"Library…" Sakura muttered. "Must be trying to get their bearings. What better place to start than the history books?"

0o0o0o

Tsuande had been in triage situations. This was nowhere near as bad as she thought. There were so many wounded, so many dying.

But there was a phenomenal recovery rate. A quick glimpse told her at least 80% of the new arrivals would die, now it was closer to 5%. Nearly everyone was saturated with radiation, and that kind of condition was rare, in fact Tsuande did not even know what to do. Neji on the other hand provided her with new techniques and healing methods that she had never seen before.

Many of their injuries reacted exceptionally well to treatment, a little too well. What really raised her eyebrows were the ones that refused treatment, they were suffering terminal illnesses…and they were getting better. Tsunade might have expected that from shinobi due to their experience with chakra, but there were civilians as well and they were preforming just as well if not better.

Something about this seemed off. And Tsunade was not going to just let something like this slide.

"Shizune," Tsunade turned to her trusted assistant, "take some blood samples of the patients. Do it quietly."

Shizune blinked, biting back an instinctive need to ask why, but she closed her mouth and nodded.

0o0o0o

Kankuro felt nervous seeing his sister. Not her actual sister, but this other sister. Kami this had his head spinning. The duplicate Temari was moved to a private wing, after many discussions on what to say they slowly approached the private room.

Only for Neji to appear in front of them with a speed not seen since Rock Lee. His gaunt features and sunken cheeks were countered by steely eyes. They reminded Shikamaru and his compatriots of Neji, but there was something behind them, something angry and frustrated.

"Kankuro-san, Termai-san; I'm sorry but I can't let Shikamaru and the boy in to see her. You too Kazekage-sama." Neji whispered coolly.

"What?" An expression shared by Temari, and the rest of the Sand Siblings. Shikamaru stood further back, keeping a tight grip on his son. The Hyuuga ignored the wounded look on the boy's face and stood firm. A slight twitch with his eyes made his intentions known.

"Well then son," Shikamaru rubbed his head, "why don't we go get something to eat and meet back here soon?" The Nara did not really expect an answer nor was he going to wait around for one, he was sure his wife will fill her in later. Once Temari was sure her boy was out of hearing distance she turned on the 'death glare'. "Explain. Now."

"Our Temari has had it pretty rough." Neji coughed. "More than the most of us, she's not emotionally balanced to see them. I think it will be tough to see Kankuro as it is, much less _you_. She does not need to be reminded of a future she could have had."

"It could have easily been the other way around." Temari offered weakly.

"But it wasn't." Neji rolled his eyes.

"That is irrelevant." The Kazekage reached for the handle. "I'm going in and you can't stop me."

"Actually I can. I _already killed you once_ Garaa. I can easily do it again." The Hyuuga pursed his lips small flares of chakra danced along his fingers. "I would rather not…I do not like repeating my past."

The blatant confession sent a surge of dread and solemn anticipation. Neji killed Gaara? Absurd. Then again, ever since the duplicates showed up, absurd was being redefined on an almost minute to minute basis. Garaa had a knack for reading people, and Neji was not lying.

Gaara's seething looked bounced off the cold Hyuuga's exterior with minimal effort. "You are a good man in this world Kazekage, I will at least give you that…but you were a good man in my world too, for a time at least. You were wooed by war to embrace your old self, the one that hated the world and killed out of boredom. You killed your brother and nearly killed your sister. If it was not for Shikamaru and myself, you would have succeeded. You became a rabid dog and I put you down with extreme prejudice."Gaara had a pale complexion. With every word he grew paler until it looked like he would fall flat dead. "We saved Temari but not before damage had been done to her, deep down I think she wanted us to leave her for dead."

Neji's gaze finally settled on Temari and she felt herself shiver, something not done during summer in Suna. "Have you ever watched a pregnant woman have her unborn son ripped out of her, womb and all?"

"I would never….I would never…" Gaara tore his eyes away from the Hyuuge to focus on his sister. "I would never do that. Temari, you have to believe me!"

"I know you wouldn't." Temari allowed his brother to reach her and placed a gentle on his shoulder, but her brother was still shaking, eyes still pleading for understanding.

"Oh don't get me wrong," Neji reached for his pocked and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, "you are not like your alternate self. But at the same time you are. Either way, the Temari in the room behind me cannot differentiate."

"You care for her?" Temari raised a brow, the question seemed innocent but the Hyuuga understood; was there something…more between them?

"Not really." Hyuuga lit a cigarette with as much boredom as a man filing documents. Temari crossed off possible romantic involvement, this Neji appeared more than just aloof; he was heartless. Though her instincts told her that this was something trained in him, a coping mechanism to survive an unsuitable situation.

"Then why tell us this?" Temari gripped his brother's shoulder. "Why would you torment my brother, a man who has done none of those things?"

"Oh but he has." Neji stepped closer, the smell of cigarette and tar assaulting the Sand Sibling's senses. "As far as the Temari on the other side of this door is concerned, he has. I am not interested in having to stop her from screaming bloody murder. It gives me a headache. I am stretched thin as it is trying to reign in my other colleagues. I am not interested in having more problems on my plate."

The Sand Siblings glanced at each other communicating in ways that only close family can decipher. "So who goes in?"

"You and Kankuro can visit her. Say hello, get to know her. But you…" Neji focused on the Kazekage. "…you stay away from her until such time as I believe she is ready."

Garaa's shoulders sagged in defeat, but something haunted him in his heart. _That explains the looks and the hate, I was a monster in their world. And they think I am no different._

The Kazekage grunted; he did not know this duplicate of himself, but if he did he would have killed him. Garaa swore he would never become him and he would prove to the new arrivals that he was different.

He was the Kazekage, he would never hurt them.

0o0o0o

"Okay. It seems that history branches off about thirteen years ago." Naruto scratched his head. "Before that everything was more or less the same."

"Hmm…" Kakashi nodded in agreement. "They had a Fourth Shinobi World War, Akatsuki was wiped out, the managed to defeat this Kaguya who was nothing short of a god."

"Pfft…Gods are overrated." Naurto grunted as he skimmed another page. "It doesn't matter. Sixty percent casualty rate…Neji killed in action…total victory…Tsunade retires…Kakashi made Hokage...new trade agreements between shinobi." Naruto tossed the book onto a growing pile on the corner. "Sounds like some kind of fairy-tale."

"Hmph." Naruto paled. "Must be paradise…"

"I'm sure their Naruto had it rough too." Kakashi offered.

"You want to bet on that?" Naruto glared at his former sensei. "…world handed to him on a silver platter…"

"You were very much like him once."

"Yeah, and I could have ended up like him if it wasn't for the fucking-" Naruto slammed his fists on the desk splitting the wood. "…It doesn't matter, it was just a dream."

"Naruto…" Kakashi warned.

"I know." Naruto shook his head. "Company." Several seconds later Naruto and Sakura came through the door. Looking at Sakura of this strange new world, she looked just as lovely as Naruto remembered. She was older than their Sakura, she passed away years ago; just another casualty of a pointless war.

Then there was this new Naruto. A Naruto who was happy and free, a Naruto who realised his dream to be Hokage with an entire village loyal to him.

 _What do I have?_ Naruto glanced at his colleagues.

 _ **You have nothing!**_ The Kyuubi screamed in his brain. _**You have absolutely nothing!**_

 _Shut the fuck up you insufferable…_ Naruto rerouted his chakra through his Rinnengan and discharged it into the seal in his chest. The kyuubi howled in pain but remained defiant. _One more peep out of you and I will grind you into nothing. And I will do it with a smile._ The Kyuubi wisely backed off, but Naruto could sense its rage. The internal conflict must have been heard by this other Naruto, who winced slightly.

 _He seems to have full control of the Kyuubi._ Naruto pondered. _How did he do it?_

"I see you are familiarising yourself with this world." Sakura smiled as she picked up one of the books off the table. "Basic history?"

"Yeah." Kakashi spoke up. "Just want to get our bearings."

"Anything of note?" Sakura was always good at steering the conversation to a particular topic.

"The world never went to hell." Naruto mulled. "Life went on."

"My student's bedside manner needs work." Kakashi bowed slightly in apology. "But that is the gist of it. Near as we can tell history branched off about a month before the Kazekage's kidnapping."

"Hmm…" Sakura took that information and put away for further reference, right now she had more pressing matters. "Look I know you had a trying day, but I need you come to the hospital. A lot of people suffered from radiation poisoning-"

"How many dead?" Naruto asked gruffly, gripping the edge of the table.

"I said 'how many dead' Sakura." Naruto's Rinnengan zeroed in on her, and the medic felt disturbingly insignificant under its gaze .Sakura glanced at 'her' Naruto before giving him a number.

"Fourteen." The desk fell apart with a loud 'crunch' under Naruto's grip making Sakura wince. "I'm sorry."

"…to lose fourteen on the final stretch…" Hanuro Sakura watched as the foreign Naruto closed his eyes like this was all some horrible dream.

"Naruto, you knew not everyone would make it." Kakashi's detachment was familiar but there was a lack of empathy associated with his opinion, almost rehearsed. "You still saved 362 people."

The foreign Naruto mulled it over for several seconds, and although he clearly was not satisfied with the explanation he nodded in understanding. "Is there anything else?"

"Well now that you mention it..." Sakura tilted her head to glance at the three shinobi, "there was obviously a lot of radiation where you are from. You could be contaminated and we need to be sure. Even if you aren't your clothes will be. I don't suppose you could come with us for some tests." It was not a question and these alternate versions were not so ignorant as to believe they had a choice.

Naruto's reflection made no indication he hear her, clearly more interested in his own thoughts. Kakashi nodded. "We understand. Do you wish for all of us to attend?"

"Yes and anyone else that did not volunteer for medical checks." Sakura looked around the room. "I was told they were with you."

"They're doing their own research." Kakashi leaned back in his chair to look over a nearby aisle. "Hey guys, come out here for a second."

There was a small shuffle before four more people came into view. Sakura tried to maintain her composure, but her jaw dropped nonetheless.

There was Kiba, who looked similar to their Kiba but covered head to toe in scars. His right arm a prosthetic. He was wheeling a man garbed in green tunic and hood, which took Naruto and Sakura to realise that it was Shino.

Shadowing behind them was a lumbering man which made Sakura's blood run cold. It was the Monster of the Hidden Mist, the blue skinned warrior Hoshigi Kisame. His trademark Samehada still on his back.

But the last man took the cake. While everyone else looked older, he had not aged a day since Naruto last saw him many years ago. Even without the Sharingan, it could not have been anyone else but Uchiha Itachi.

 _Oh shit._ Sakura thought. _Sasuke is going to freak._


End file.
